As of last Friday, I'm midway through the year-long Thor Challenge, so it's time for my six-month check-up.
| No, I didn't have a stroke. As any bodybuilder will tell you, posing is excruciating. One of the most challenging things to do while keeping every muscle in your body taut during a pic is to force a grin. I'm new at this, so I think a half smile/half lip-biting grimace isn't half bad. | |
I'm at 158 lbs., an 18-pound gain since November.
Clearly, there has been substantial progress since I started, yet there is still quite a bit of work to do.
Clearly, there has been substantial progress since I started, yet there is still quite a bit of work to do.
- My midline (the crease down the center of the body) is coming in nice and clear.
- The upper abs (Nos. 1 and 2) are starting to peek through.
- As mentioned a few months back, the obliques (No. 3) are there, as is the serratus (No. 4).
- Hold on! What's that? No, No. 5 is not an elongated armpit. That, my friends, is my lat. Go Team Broad Back!
- Equally surprising is that my pecs (Nos. 6 and 7) are now prominent enough that they don't disappear when I raise my arms over my head. It's these bad boys, along with No. 5 and my steadily-emerging deltoids (shoulders), which are responsible for my newly-minted V-taper.
My assessment? Well, much to my wife's annoyance, I've taken to occasionally strutting around the house, arms out to my sides, and, in a deep voice, randomly offering to move heavy things for her.
But seriously . . .
I know I'm not ready to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest, yet most everything is coming along as planned. My midsection needs work but—as previously discussed—abs are made in the kitchen, meaning regardless of one's muscle development, a male's abs won't be readily visible until he whittles down to at least 10 - 12% body fat. From the looks of things, I've dropped another percent since January. If I had to guess, I'd say I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of 14%. My fat loss rate is a tad slower than I'd like, but I can't expect miracles: I'm preoccupied with putting on mass, a.k.a. "bulking"; when I start approaching my target weight of 185 lbs., I'll shift my attention to cutting body fat.
I know I'm not ready to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest, yet most everything is coming along as planned. My midsection needs work but—as previously discussed—abs are made in the kitchen, meaning regardless of one's muscle development, a male's abs won't be readily visible until he whittles down to at least 10 - 12% body fat. From the looks of things, I've dropped another percent since January. If I had to guess, I'd say I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of 14%. My fat loss rate is a tad slower than I'd like, but I can't expect miracles: I'm preoccupied with putting on mass, a.k.a. "bulking"; when I start approaching my target weight of 185 lbs., I'll shift my attention to cutting body fat.
By the time Halloween arrives, I'm hoping to be able to quote the immortal J.D. of Scrubs fame: "If you need to do some laundry, here's the washboard. Right?" | |
#ThorChallenge #BeYourOwnSuperhero #Bodybuilding #Posing #Progress #ProgressPic #Abs #Core #Obliques #SerratusAnterior #Lats #LatissimiDorsi #Pecs #PectoralisMajor #VTaper #Deltoids #Shoulders #ILiftThingsUpAndPutThemDown #BodyFat #Bulking #Scrubs #Goals
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